Gasometer



(No Model.) H M N v 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

GASOMETER.

Patented Apr. 2, 1889.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

YVILBERFOROE B. HAMMOND, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

GASOM ETER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters latent No. 400,671, dated April 2, 1889.

Application filed January 18,1889." Serial No. 296,700. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILBERFORCE B. HAM- MOND, a citizen of the United States, residing at Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented. certain new and useful Improvements in Gasometers; and I do hereby declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertai-ns to make and use the same.

My invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in that class of gasometers consisting of an inverted holder whose lower edges dip into a seal or cistern of water or other liquid, said holder being adapted to rise within the cistern as the gas enters it, and to fall in proportion as the gas is taken off through the distributing-mains.

It has been customary, in order to insure constant parallelism of motion during the rise and fall of the gas-holder, to provide upon its sides sheaves or grooved wheels traveling upon vertical bars of railroad-iron rigidly attached to the sides of the cistern, and to contin ue these" guide-bars upward to a height above the level of liquid in the cistern at least equal to the extreme limit of upward movement of the top of the holder, the grooves or sheaves referred to being disposed at both the top and bottom edges of the holder, so as to steady the holder in a vertical position at all points of its movement. To support these upper guides above the level of the cistern, it has been necessary either to construct substantial buildings covering the holder and to which said guides are attached, or, in lieu thereof, to build a strong frame-work for sustaining the guides in the vertical position.

It is the object of my invention to dispense entirely with the upper guides referred to, and consequently with the cumbersome and expensive structures for maintaining them in position, while still insuring an absolute vertical translation of the holder and sustaining it against all wind-pressure and every other strain tending to divert it from a vertical position.-

In the accompanying drawings illustrative of my invention, Figure 1 represents a plan View of a gas-holder embodying my invention. Fig. 2 represents a side elevation of the same, partly in section. Fig. 3 represents a plan view of a gas-holder embodying a modification of the specific means illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 for carrying out my invention; 5 5 and Fig. 4. represents a side elevation thereof, partly in section.

Similar numerals of referenceindicate similar parts throughout the several views.

Referring particularly to the construction illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, 1 indicates an iron gas-holder of the kind usually employed for the storage of gas produced at a gas-works.

2 indicates a cistern or receptacle having liquid-proof sides adapted to contain water or a similar liquid, constituting a hydraulic seal for the lower edges of the holder. Upon the I sides of the holder are located vertical rackbars 3, of substantially the same height as the holder itself, within which rack-bars mesh or engage the teeth of a series of sprocketrwheels 4, said sprocket-wheels being rigidly mounted upon cross-shafting 5. The cross-shafting 5 is journaled in strong and substantialboxes 6, which boxes are preferably anchored into the masonry by stay-bolts 7. At their outer ends the shafts 5 are provided with miter-gears intermeshing with each other, thereby forming.

a continuous train of connected shafting, preferably entirely inclosing the holder, as shown.

For convenience of illustration, I have also shown the cistern as provided with vertical guide-bars 9, upon which travel sheaves or grooved rollers 10, connected to the lower edges of the holder, although the presence of these guiding devices is not strictly essential to the operation of my invention.

The parts being constructed and arranged as described, the operation thereof is as follows: As the holder rises in'the cistern dur- 9o ing the inflow of the gas from the generator, the vertical rack-bars 3, rigidly attached to the sides of the holder, act upon the sprocketwheels 4:, and, as said sprocket-wheels are connected in a single train of gear-shafting, the motion of translation of the holder must necessarily be strictly and rigorously vertical, thereby causing the holder to preserve at all periods of its upward movement a position parallel to its original or initial position at the bottom of the cistern. When the holder has attained a sufficient elevation above the upper surface of the cistern to be subjected to side strains tending to overturn it-as, for

instance, gusts of wind and the likea tilting force of this character exerted upon any side of the holder would simply serve to operate the sprocket-wheel and shaft at said side, and the motion thus produced would be transmitted simultaneously through the intermediacy of the remaining shafting and sprocket-wheels to the rack-bars on the other side of the holder, thereby preventing the OYQltllll'llllg of the holder and compensating for its tendency to tilt by causing it to move, if at all, bodily in a strictly vertical direction. In the form of m yinvention illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3 I am enabled to produce this parallelism of translation by substituting for the sprocket-wheels and rack-bars drums or windin g-sheaves 11, upon each of which are wound two sets of guy ropes, chains, or similar flexible connections, the free end of one set, 12, being connected with cleats 13 or the like at the top edge of the holder, and the other set, ll, extending downwardly to similar cleats or connections at the lower edge of the holder. The drums 11 are rigidly mounted upon the cross-shafting, provided with intermeshing gears constructed and arranged in like manner as the connected shafting shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and being similarly journaled in supporting-boxes anchored in the masonry of the cistern.

The mode of operation of this modification of my invention will be apparent. As the holder rises, all of the guy-ropes being taut, it is evidently impossible for it to move except by strict vertical translation, the tilting or o\"erturning tendencies of side strains exerted upon the exterior of the holder being transmitted by the connected shafting simultaneously, as before, to all sides of the holder.

It will be evident that without departing from the spirit of my invention a greater number of in termeshin g sproeket-wh eels and rackbars or drums and guy-ropes may be employed than those illustrated in the drawings, and that the connection between them may be other than the rigid shafts 5, provided always that the distinctive feature is retained of employing a transmitting connection that will communicate simultaneously to all of the sprocket-wheels or winding-drums the motion imparted from the holder to one of said sprocket wheels or drums. It will also be apparent that to guide the holder in the movement of vertical translation desired it is only absolutely essential that its governing points or lines be selected. I may therefore in some instances dispensewith one member of the shaftin g illustrated and still secure the result desired, although to lessen the strain and work imposed upon the shafting I prefer to distribute it uniformly about the tank, so as to inclose the same.

While in the drawings I have illustrated my invention as applied to a single-lift gasometer only, I do not intend to restrict my claims to that particular use, as it is obvious that the invention may be applied with equal facility to a so-called doublelift or triplelift or other form of telescopic gasome'ter.

Having thus de cribtd my invention, what I claim is 1. In a gasometer, the combination, with a cistern, of an inverted holder adapted to rise and fall therein, guides spaced at governingpoints about said holder and attached thereto, and connected shatting mounted upon the cistern, each member of said shafting being operated by or geared to one of said guides, whereby a motion of parallel translation of the holder is assured at all periods of its rise and fall, substantially as described.

2. I11 a gasometer, the combination, with a cistern, of an inverted holder adapted to rise and fall therein, rack-bars spaced at governing-points about said holder and attached thereto, and connected shafting'mounted upon the cistern, each. member of said shafting being provided with a sprocket-wheel intermeshing with one of the rack-bars, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix m y signature in the presence of two witnesses.

\VILBERFORCE B. HAMMOND.

IVitnesses:

WM. E. RooERs, ALBERT G. MORSE. 

